Diabetes in Children: Special Camps

Topic Overview

Camps for children who have
diabetes provide an opportunity for the child to meet
and share experiences with other children who have the disease. These camps
support the child in assuming responsibility for his or her disease and gaining
independence in diabetes care. It's also a fun outdoor experience that may
include swimming, hiking, or other sports.

Camps provide a
respite for parents, a time when they can take a break from managing the
disease. Parents can rest assured that their child will get appropriate care
during this time at camp.

These camps are run by trained medical
and camp staff. They aim to keep children's blood sugar levels within a target
range by balancing insulin doses with the increased activity level and food
intake.

What you do

To help your child have a good
experience at camp:

Make
sure the camp is accredited by the American Camping
Association.

Review the camp policies. Camp policies include
management of your child's diabetes care, management of other medical
conditions, emergency care, planned activities and outings, and educational
offerings. Opening and closing rules of the camp will also be included in the
policies, such as drop-off and pick-up times.

Complete a medical
form before your child attends the camp. This form includes information about
your child's past medical history and immunization record. It also requires
information about the amount, schedule of doses, and kinds of insulin your
child takes. It may require records of your child's blood sugar levels and
insulin dosages for the previous week. Your child's doctor may need to provide
some information.

Provide information about past hospitalizations
and illnesses. The camp medical staff needs to know whether your child has any
behavioral or emotional problems or has had hospital stays for
diabetic ketoacidosis.

Provide information
about your child's
insulin pump, if he or she uses one.

Provide a written consent if any research is being
conducted at the camp. Make sure you understand what will be done, and give
your written permission for your child to take part in the
study.

What you can expect

Appropriate
procedures will be done if an emergency occurs, and you will be
contacted.

You will be contacted if needed for behavioral,
emotional, or other problems that occur during camp.

You will
receive a daily record of your child's progress, which may include your child's
blood sugar levels, insulin doses, activities, and level of participation. It
may also include your child's food intake during the camp
experience.

You will receive a report of your child's participation
in the educational program and his or her progress in learning diabetes care
skills, such as giving an injection or monitoring blood sugar levels.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.
How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.